Is there a way to check if headgasket sealer was used before buying used car ? If heater core is clogged it would not heat well Any other ways
Ah you mean pour in type pellets etc The best method I've always used is to warm the vehicle up whether you take it on a spirited drive in the sunshine for a good minute hot outside whatever get the car warm run your hand over the radiator I'm talking about the middle of the core of the radiator notice any big cool spots like dead in the middle of the radiator it's hot all the way around the rectangular core but dead in the middle cold That's where the pellets coagulated and clogged and now that part of the radiator doesn't work because the tubes are plugged it needs to be replaced in this world in the old days you could rob the core and fix it and put it back but these plastic tank things 80 bucks 90 whatever so that's another way to tell draining the coolant and all that usually doesn't tell you much unless you know you have it laboratory checked or something That's going to cost you money generally those head gasket sealers don't work after they put that stuff in and they drive it a day or two and they realize it's not going to work That's when the car goes up for sale usually and with these cars knowing that the two ZZ has this problem through 16 when you're looking at a 10 2010 that is with 220,000 mi on it and the guys telling you yada yada blah blah blah I want 4,800 well there you go Not me SM-A715F ?
That's the hustle now everybody doesn't care about anything oh it's work good for me for $200,000 even though the cars have a history of blowing up in 20,000 more miles I still want $6,000 This is the intellect we're dealing with in the current climate SM-A715F ?
Never thought of this before now, but a simple look at the radiator through a thermal imager might be a quick 21st century way of getting the same info.
In reality the answer is no, particularly if they use the type that is designed to be removed shortly after it is installed. Of course clogging is not then the issue, a hidden head gasket leak is the primary concern. The older sealers work for several months or longer making selling scams very possible. The safest option is to stay away from used gen3s, particularly those approaching 150k miles or higher. There are other issues as well like expensive brake boosters and excessive oil consumption. Not on every car but on many of them.
Yes a heat gun would be another way to go around the core with that I like to use my hand because I can feel the progression of heat on the edge to zilch in the middle where the heat gun you have to really be paying attention and moving it kind of slowly and all this and that my hand I don't have to do any of that with but whatever works for you do but I hear it once you're looking for this the damage is done even if you take that radiator out and put in another one drying the system get it back up to snuff all of the stop leak will come out and you'll be back where you were it won't stay where it plugged the new coolant will carry it away generally pretty quickly too SM-A715F ?
